The invention relates to an axle suspension for a vehicle axle guided by a trailing arm, with a support which can be fixed on each vehicle side underneath a vehicle chassis, in which a trailing arm is fastened for rotary movement, which is supported by its other end via an air spring opposite the vehicle chassis, with a vehicle axle which crosses the trailing arm and fitted at its ends with the vehicle wheels, and with at least one axle lift with a force element, a pressure transmission means movable by actuating the force element against the trailing arm, as well as a console bracket which is provided with a supporting means for the force element and the pressure reaction forces acting on same, and which furthermore for fixing on the support is provided with a console bracket part on which a plug-in or hook connection is formed for engagement in the support. The invention also relates to an axle lift for a vehicle axle with a force element, a pressure transmission means which is movable by actuation of the force element against an axle link of the vehicle axle, as well as a console bracket which is provided with a supporting means for the force element and the pressure reaction forces acting on same, and which furthermore for fastening on a support which consists of two side walls and an end wall pointing in the drive direction and connecting the side walls together, is provided with a console bracket part on which a plug-in or hook connection is formed for engaging in the support.
In the axle suspension of an air-suspended vehicle axle according to EP 0 961 726 B1 a diaphragm cylinder operated by compressed air serves as the force element for raising the vehicle axle. This cylinder is supported on a console bracket which is mounted underneath the support of the vehicle axle. The support holds in its two side walls a bearing bolt which defines the pivotal axis for each relevant axle link of the vehicle axle. In order to divert the considerable forces used when lifting the axle to the support the console bracket engages by the arms formed thereon over the side walls of the support wherein the arms are supported inter alia against the bearing bolt. A part of the forces which occur during lifting of the vehicle axle is therefore transferred to this bolt and thus to parts of the axle suspension which are involved in the dynamic driving process.
From DE 699 17 105 T2 an axle suspension with an axle lift is known in which the force element which is designed here as an air spring is supported on a console bracket which is made up as a whole from three parts. A first console part on which the force element is directly supported is provided with a plug-in connection for engaging in the region of the end wall of the support. Constituent parts of the console brackets are furthermore suspension plates on either side of the support wherein the lower ends of the plates are each screwed to the first console bracket part and whose upper ends are suspended from the screw bolt. Also with this embodiment the axle lift is therefore supported inter alia on that bearing bolt which supports the axle link so that at least a part of the forces acting during lifting of the vehicle axle is also transferred to this bolt and thus to parts of the axle suspension which are involved in the dynamic driving process.
An axle suspension and axle lift without these drawbacks is known from DE 10 2006 044 598 A1. In order to obtain a console bracket which is adjustable over a wide region this bracket is designed in two parts wherein a first bracket part is a block-shaped pressure member which is screwed between two arms of the second console bracket part and is supported from below against the rod support. A second console bracket part is connectable via corresponding rows of holes in different positions to both the first bracket part and also the support. During assembly of the axle lift, in order to avoid faulty installation, it is necessary to use the correct pairs of holes, i.e. those which match the relevant chassis geometry. After horizontally inserting the first console bracket part the rows of holes of the second console bracket part have to be brought to overlap the two holes of the side walls of the support. It can thereby happen that the wrong hole is chosen for the connection, and the first console bracket part then no longer engages adequately with the end wall of the support. There is the danger that this connection subsequently becomes loose through the loads arising during driving operation. As a result the axle lift would pivot out of the way and lose its function since the lifting force no longer engages on the site provided for that purpose, and in the worst case scenario the second console bracket part could even shear off.
The axle lift according to DE 10 2006 044 598 A1 operates with a favorable diversion of the pressure reaction forces but up to the final fitting of the axle lift several assembly steps are required, inter alia for correctly adjusting and positioning the two console bracket parts.
The aim of the invention is therefore to be able to mount the console bracket of the axle lift with few manual steps in a basic setting on the support.